A FORMER resident magician at Pembrokeshire's Folly Farm has been left in a wheelchair after a live America’s Got Talent stunt went wrong.
Haverfordwest-born Jonathan Goodwin, got caught between the two vehicles while suspended 70 feet in the air, as they erupted into a fireball on impact.
Goodwin’s fiancé, actress Amanda Abbington, has revealed that the 42 year-old daredevil stuntman suffered horrific life-changing injuries in accident in October 2021.
She explained that the timing was misjudged and the cars were released too early, causing him to be crushed between them as they caught on fire.
Goodwin, who grew up in Robeston Wathen, near Narberth, has appeared in a host of mainstream tv shows both sides of the Atlantic.
For the stunt, he was supposed to free himself from a straight jacket while dangling from his feet between the two swinging cars.
Goodwin fell to the ground, hitting his head, and was airlifted to hospital in critical condition – and is reported to have undergone surgery
The accident happened at Atlanta Motor Speedway during rehearsal for the spin-off of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, which offers a $500,000 prize.
The stuntman is no stranger to performing dangerous TV stunts, and was a finalist on “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2019.
In 2020, Goodwin reached the semi-finals of America’s Got Talent, and in one stunt, he caught fire as he attempted to release himself.
Sherlock star, Abingdon, 48, told the Out To Lunch podcast with Jay Rayner: “He fell 30 feet and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, shattered both legs.
“Third degree burns, broke his spine and severed his spinal cord and, nearly died. And then on the operating table, he nearly died again.”
She added: “He’s paralysed now he’s in a wheelchair. Unless there’s a kind of stem cell surgery or that thing that Elon Musk is designing with the little chip, he’ll be like that forever.”
Despite the life-altering injuries, Abbington explained he has remained 'positive and upbeat and so strong'.
“His courage and his strength is something that I just aspire to be like,” she said.
“He’s just incredible, honestly, like so happy, just like a very happy, positive human being, just liquid sunshine. He’s amazing.”
It can, but you have to shift your perception if you can. I am closer to my friends, family and loved ones now than I’ve ever been. There is gold even in the deepest darkest mine. https://t.co/CQUMZASQBx
— Jonathan Goodwin (@TheDaredevil) May 4, 2022
The actress also revealed the stuntman had sent her a voicemail before his surgery explaining that there was a 50% chance he would not make it.
He told her he loved her and thanked her for the last couple of months of his life with her.
The couple had previously been friends on social media for around 10 years, with Abbington following his content as her son Joe was a fan of his act.
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